Salvatore Tatarella (PPE). – (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the Commission has clearly committed a serious error, and as it will have realised today, Parliament is calling, almost unanimously, for this error to be rectified. The vote on this issue will be very significant and I hope that the Commission will take that into account.

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is a European programme of great excellence, whose funding cannot be entrusted to intergovernmental agreements. Some Member States have already expressed themselves in favour of this change of course. This programme is of vital importance for Europe from a political, strategic and technological point of view. We cannot afford to lose either the independence or the technological advantage we have gained and leave space to the Russian and US superpowers. That would also create serious inequalities between Member States. We must act quickly to provide a clear schedule for planning and investment purposes.

We often speak of growth, innovation, scientific research, advanced technologies, investment in industry and quality jobs. Well, GMES encompasses all of this. In this Parliament, we often discuss the fight against climate change, environmental degradation and desertification; we discuss civil protection and security, sustainable development, mobility, crisis management and aid to developing countries. Well, GMES is essential for all of this.

A half-finished programme is equivalent to throwing out significant investments that have already been made, and at times such as these, when the value of fiscal discipline has been rediscovered, that would be very serious. If European integration is democratic, the Commission must listen to the voice of Parliament and the Council. A final consideration: to maximise investment on the part of the EU budget, industry can be involved in a public-private partnership.